4 reasons to do Contemporary Dance
JumpStart love Contemporary dance and it's very much at the heart of what we do - both in our school work and in our Youth Company. There are a plethora of ways to keep fit and luckily we have lots…
Bring Back Boredom!
In our quest to become more creative, you may suppose that by filling our time with experiences, information and stimulation we would fuel our imaginations. Turns out that's not quite the case... Let's begin with examining boredom. Can you remember…
So what exactly is creativity?
If you have been following our blog, or have worked with JumpStart, you'll already know we're big fans of creativity. In fact, it is at the heart of what we do in our creative dance practice: our unique blend of…
Childhood Obesity Plan, pt. 2
Following on from the launch of the government’s Childhood Obesity Plan (part 2) we’ve digested the information into a bite-sized summary of key findings and recommendations, with a specific focus on Schools and physical activity. The role of schools Part…
Our own mental health
We've spent the last month or so on the blog discussing the impact of dance on the physical and mental health of children, but lets not forget about ourselves. After all, if our own mental health is out of whack,…
The impact of dance on physical health
Recently we discussed the benefits of Dance on Children’s Mental Health where we noted one statistic showed that 75% of those with a mental health condition began developing it before the age of 18. Not only does Dance benefit a…
Mental Health and Dance
I love dance! Which I’m sure comes as no surprise to hear seeing as it’s the nature of our business at JumpStart. I love it because it’s always been a hobby of mine. I’m also aware of the contribution it…
Reasons to Dance: Brain Food
Taking part in physical activity doesn’t just have a positive impact on your physical health and your well-being. It can actually improve your intelligence. A study in North Carolina focused on raising the activity levels in children and discovered that…
Reasons to Dance: ‘Scientifically’ fit
“... [dance] can speed up your heart rate, it can enliven your being, it can change your life.” Richard Alston [1] Anyone who has taken part in a dance class will be able to attest to the fact that…
Reasons to Dance: “Because I’m Happy…”
Today at 4pm Sir Ken Robinson will urge “devote equal time to dance and maths” in The Educators, a new series on BBC Radio 4. And (of course) I whole-heartedly agree! There is a real buzz about dance at the…